This invention relates generally to sunshades and specifically to a sunshade for substantially covering an inside surface of an automotive vehicle roof.
Over the years, a variety of roller shade devices have been employed to cover windshields, side windows or back windows within automotive vehicles. One such exemplary device is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,929 entitled "Roller Type Sun Visor" which issued to Burkhead on May 29, 1956. However, these types of roller shades are unsightly and difficult to unroll to intermediate positions. Furthermore, these roller shades are unsuitable for use against a curved window surface. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,855,241 entitled "Rollable Sun Visor Having A Plurality of Separately Movable Sections," which issued to Walter on Oct. 7, 1958, discloses a sun visor formed from coiled strips that can be unrolled across a curved windshield surface. While this device recognizes the curvature problem, it appears unsuitable for horizontal use and difficult to operate especially while driving an automotive vehicle.
Automotive vehicles have also employed a retractable and flexible roof having a roller and rigid hoop sticks operably attached thereto. Such a roof is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 1,413,424 entitled "Vehicle Body and Roof" which issued to Peczenik on Apr. 18, 1922. This roof, however, does not account for the cross car (as viewed from the rear) and windshield (as viewed from the top) curvature.
More recently, an automotive vehicle has employed a stackable set of rigid blades coupled by a flexible shade. This is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,244 entitled "Transparent Vehicle Roof Having Sunshade" which issued to Clenet on May 8, 1990, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,899 entitled "Vehicle Transparent Roof Having Manually Operable Sunshade" which also issued to Clenet on Apr. 9, 1991, both of which are incorporated by reference herewithin. It is noteworthy that this device does not disclose the blades as being straightenable and curvable depending on whether they are stowed or in a functional position.
In accordance with the present invention, the preferred embodiment of a sunshade for substantially covering an automotive vehicle roof has a plurality of roof bows and a flexible sheet spanning between the bows, all of which are slidably disposed proximate with an inside surface of the roof. In one aspect of the present invention, the bows and the flexible sheet are movable from a stowed position wherein at least one of the bows is straight, to a functional position wherein the previously straightened bow is subsequently curved. In another aspect of the present invention, an actuator is drivably coupled to a roller mechanism which, in turn, has a portion of the flexible sheet attached thereto.
The sunshade of the present invention allows for increased interior coverage of an inside surface of a transparent roof of an automotive vehicle. This increased coverage is caused by use of a roller mechanism in combination with a rollable flexible sheet and roof bows having a relatively small cross section as compared to the relatively bulky conventional blades. The present invention also provides increased roof coverage by curving one or more roof bows in one or more planes as the roof bows are moved from their straightened stowed position to their curved functional extended position. The sunshade of the present invention is also advantageous over traditional devices since the flexible sheet and roof bows can conform with the cross car curvature of the roof as well as the top view curvature of the windshield and a front header panel. Furthermore, the present invention sunshade is easily operated by the vehicle driver with minimal distraction and effort. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.